COME SEPTEMBER, WE REMEMBER

Recalling one of the K9 heroes of 9/11 - meet Porkchop, the Aussie Shepherd in all his dusty glory, says Pradeep Verma, editor, Buddy Life.

- Pradeep Verma

Here's Porkchop's real-life story - true at its core, raw in emotion, and laced with just the right amount of grit. Read on. In the smoking ruins of Ground Zero, amid twisted beams and haunting silence, walked a one-year-old Australian Shepherd named Porkchop. He had no helmet, no boots—just a keen nose, boundless stamina, and the kind of focus born from trust in his handler. His blond coat, dusted with ash, moved like a whisper against the chaos. With Erick Robertson by his side, Porkchop became one of the many four-legged search-and-rescue heroes deployed in the largest K9 mobilization in history.

It was early September 2001. The entire USA was reeling as a nation. Erick had traveled from Oakhurst, California to New York as part of a volunteer team. Porkchop, trained in locating human remains, wasn't built for dramatic rescues—but for something just as vital: giving families closure. Over 350 specially trained dogs came from all across the globe to support recovery efforts. Some were experienced veterans of disaster work. Porkchop was still young, raw—but resolute.